This is a very special week at Willamette Humane Society! We are celebrating our Golden Anniversary!

Here’s the official announcement from WHS:

“In celebration of Willamette Humane Society’s Golden Anniversary on November 7, 2015, Mayor Anna Peterson met with Executive Director BJ Andersen at the Salem City Council Meeting on October 26th, and declared November 1-7 to be Willamette Humane Society Golden Anniversary Week.”

Come join us on Saturday from 2:00 – 5:00 at the shelter. There will be activities for kids, a coffee bar, pet photos, and tours of the shelter and spay and neuter clinic. Catherine Steinke, CPDT-KA will be onsite to answer questions about dog training and behavior. It will be a fun and exciting afternoon!

There were seven wonderful dogs who were adopted during the last week, including these Blog Dogs.

One of these happy characters, Pal, was no longer technically a WHS dog. Pal arrived last May, transferred from another shelter after he had been found as a stray. While many of us fell in love with this sweet boy, no one adopted him and as the days and weeks went by, Pal became increasingly stressed in the shelter environment. When volunteers would take him on respites away from the kennels, he was wonderfully behaved and happy. I wrote about him many times on this blog, but still his perfect fit did not find him. In August, after spending a delightful weekend with volunteer Jolene at the beach, it was decided to transfer Pal to our sister shelter, Brightside Animal Center, in the hope that a change of location would find Pal’s forever home. I kept track of our boy through a fellow volunteer friend at Brightside who fell in love with him, too. Last week she excitedly wrote that Pal was going to a foster home and if he got along with the cat, they would adopt him! All of Pal’s fans were on pins and needles hoping this was his future family. Then I got this message from my friend: “All week I was texting the new family getting updates just keeping my fingers crossed! And then Saturday they came walking in to do the paperwork. Pal was riding in the truck with them and he looked so cute sitting up there like he owned the truck!” She sent along these pictures of Pal with his new person and playing in his new yard. Such a happy new beginning for a much-loved long-time shelter dog!

I have many friends here, but I really want my very own person.

As you may have figured out by now, Henry is my current favorite shelter dog. He is an eight-year-old Chihuahua mix. He gets very attached to his person and doesn’t like to be alone. He was surrendered on September 17th, adopted once, but due to his person’s health problems, he had to come back to the shelter. He needs a quiet home without kids, cats, or other dogs. It would be ideal if his person was home most of the time. Last Wednesday we spent some extra time together after all the other dogs had been walked.

Then it was time to go back to his kennel.

It was hard to leave him. I saw him again on Friday when I went to a meeting at the shelter and had him in my lap the entire time. I was thrilled when he was picked for Jolene’s next swim dog for that afternoon. I got to tell him the good news!

Here’s Jolene’s report of the adventure:

“Your buddy Henry had a terrific time swimming at Bailey’s Journey. Rode nicely in the car and didn’t seem at all anxious about the pool environment. He walked right up to say hello to a man whose dog was in the pool. He had no problem with the life vest (they even have them small enough for him) being put on him. Since he’s so small, he was carried into the pool. He’s a good, strong, fast swimmer! For his third round in the pool, they removed the life vest. He had to work harder because the vest makes it easier for dogs to float in the water, but he still had a strong third swim. When I took him back to his kennel I found him a cute argyle sweater, and when I checked on him a few minutes later he was all curled up on his bed sound asleep.”

On Sunday I had quite a few new dog pictures to take, and when done, I went to check on Henry. I was very happy to find he was not alone. Volunteer Kylie was keeping him company in his kennel.

Looking for a fun-loving, eager, happy-go-lucky new best friend? Well, come and meet ME!

Copper is a two-year-old Mastiff mix who has been waiting for his forever home since September 27th. This extremely handsome goofball is such a happy boy. He loves people and attention, but could use some impulse-control training because he is just so excited to see everyone! Copper is house-trained and knows “sit” and “down” which he does very well. He also walks pretty well on leash. He has never been around children, so older kids would be best, due to Copper’s exuberance. He also can be picky about his dog friends, so will have to meet any new dog siblings. Copper is a “big, sweet boy” one staff member said. His previous owners reported he is kennel-trained and never chewed on anything he wasn’t supposed to. If you’re looking for a big, happy, goofy new best friend, Copper may be the perfect choice. Let’s find him his forever home! Here he is with two of his many fans at the shelter, Jolene and Laslo.

I’m an active, fun boy who loves to play fetch! Need exercise? I can help you with that!

Baxter is a new arrival and is a Lab/Plott Hound mix. At two years old, he is hoping for a family who loves to play and who will give him the daily exercise he needs. Baxter is house-trained and knows several commands. He is affectionate, treat-motivated and would do well with older children who would play fetch with him. He seemed sad when I met him last week, and so I’m hoping his forever family will find him soon. Here he is with two of his new friends, Caroline and Diane.

We got to have a respite at Krystal’s house!

Elsa and Anna are Chihuahua mixes who have been waiting for a new home (together) since October 3. Since they came to us as strays, the only thing we know about them is their devotion to each other. They were quite shy when they first arrived, but have really warmed up to volunteers and staff. Elsa (black) is about six and Anna (blond) is about one. Their adoption price is two for one! They need to go to their new home together. These girls will be very easy to have around.

Last week volunteer Krystal took them for a couple of days of respite at her house with her happy four-dog pack. The whole crew got along fine. Krystal said that they are both total lap dogs, though Elsa is a tad more independent than Anna, who would like to be constantly on your lap if at all possible. Together they found a dog bed in Krystal’s basement that they decided was just right for them and after they made it clear to Krystal that they would like to have it on the main floor, and spent much of their respite time curled on it .

Here they are with Wyatt, Krystal’s elder statesman, who oversees the care of all of the family’s fosters.Elsa and Anna have become such favorites at the shelter and we’re all hoping they’ll soon have a family of their own.

Yep, it’s me. Still hoping for my new person to find me and take me home.

Jolene continues to work with Opie on his skills while he waits for his perfect fit of a person to find him. Opie is a long-termer at the shelter, having arrived on June 28th. He is a two-year-old Plothound mix. Because of his bouncy personality, he has torn the muscle behind his right knee (like a human ACL) and can only go for walks for now, no racing around the yards playing with his beloved stuffed toys. Though not easy for him, Opie is doing his best to rest. For the right family, Opie will be an absolutely delightful companion. He gets along with other dogs, though no cats, please. He needs a savvy person who will continue his training, and happily, there’s a WHS class that comes with his adoption package. Opie has been at the shelter for so long, fingers and toes crossed that he’ll soon be found by his forever home.

Are you looking for one expert tennis ball catcher and one who’s not? Well, here we are, mother and son!

What a happy duo these two Jack Russell Terrier mixes are! Meet Lola and Ben. Lola (left) is ten and Ben is eight. Lola is Ben’s mother. They are very bonded and need to go home together. Taking them to a yard to play is such fun for volunteers. Ben LOVES catching tennis balls and is quite the athlete, leaping into the air and catching the ball mid-flight! Lola, on the other hand, sits next to you and proudly watches Ben’s theatrics. They want you to know a few things about them. First, both are house-trained (of course). They have lived with kids, but would prefer older children since they are now seniors. They do not care for cats (and don’t know why anyone does) and can be picky about other dog friends. So in short, if it’s left up to them, they’d like to be your only pets. They also assure you that they are fine left alone and do not cause any destruction. These two little characters have won the hearts of all of us and we hope they’ll be in their new home soon.

Laslo and Diane are two Lola/Ben fans!

I’m new here, hoping to find an Oregon home.

Otis is a handsome two-year-old Rottweiler/Shepherd mix who came to us from California. He is an extremely nice boy, though he could use some refresher practice on walking politely on leash, as he tends to pull some when excited to greet a new friend. He took my treats gently and happily posed with Esme. He does not care for cats, but seems to get along with other dogs. He’ll make a terrific dog for an active family.

I’m Koa and this is Bailey. We’re newbies looking for our forever homes.

I met Koa (left) and Bailey for the first time on Sunday. They came to us from a sister shelter where they’ve been waiting for new homes, but didn’t find them. They’re hoping that, like Pal, they will find their forever people after moving to a different locale. Volunteer Barb picked them up and brought them to WHS and couldn’t say enough good things about how well they rode in her car. Though they are very good friends, they don’t have to be adopted together (but they’d love it). Marianne has this to say about them: “They are very sweet, they like treats, they know sit, and they listen pretty well. I really love both of them.”

Bailey is a two-year-old Lab/Border Collie mix. She is not only house-trained, but crate-trained as well! Here she is with Jolene.

Koa is a two-year-old American Pit Bull Terrier. Here he is with Caroline waiting for me to give him a promised treat.

Caroline’s Pick of the Week!

Tiny is a one-year-old Beagle mix and what a sweet boy he is! Looking for an easy dog? Tiny it is! He may need a brush-up on house-training, since he’s been an outdoor dog for a while, but he was house-trained before that. Caroline found him to be affectionate, easy-going and a nice walker on leash. His former owner reported that he did fine when left alone. He has lived with another Beagle (also at our shelter) happily, but dislikes cats. Tiny is simply a perfect dog for a Beagle-lover.

Tiny enjoyed just hanging out with Caroline and Marianne.

Updates!

I have several heartfelt updates this week!

Daphney

Daphney was a very special dog. Here’s what I wrote about her in December, 2012:

I first met Daphney last July. She arrived at WHS on a Sunday afternoon, eleven years old, confused and frightened. I felt so sorry for her as I snapped pictures of her for the website. Over the next several weeks, Daphney relaxed some and a volunteer named Tom started spending time with her. Tom had another Border Collie named Ben and soon he was taking Daphney home on respites. It quickly became obvious that Tom, Ben, and Daphney belonged together, and I was thrilled when Tom said he was adopting her. Since Tom helps with Sunday play groups and brings Ben and Daphney along, we get to see her most weeks.

If you read my blog regularly, you will remember that Ben died last June. I was deeply saddened when Tom recently wrote that Daphney, at fourteen, had to be put to sleep, as well. Yesterday Tom sent me the picture below along with a poem a friend had written about his sweet girl. And if you look closely at the picture, you’ll see Ben, too.

ODE TO DAPHNEY

Master of disappearing in the dark,
and her passionate bark.

She reappears at your heels,
and is always ready for meals.

A lover of carrots and lettuce,
maybe even a little jealous.

At first quite confused,
then became enthused

with the calm and security,
you gave her surety.

Her entry to the Old Dogs Home
guaranteed you wouldn’t be alone.

In Doggy Heaven with Ben
The two romp together again.

Mona

Sally

About the time that Daphney was showing more and more signs of her age, another senior dog arrived at the shelter. Her name was Sally. At eleven, Sally had been an outdoor dog her entire life. She was so sad, she just about broke my heart.

Tom started spending time with Sally. After Daphney died, Tom took Sally on a respite to his house for a few days. I crossed my fingers and hoped. Tom sent me pictures of Sally settling in at what was to become her forever home. The official adoption was on October 23rd. Last week Tom sent me this video. Who would have guessed that Sally was in reality an agility dog?!

Cassidy/Patience…and…The Movies: Mama Pit Bull and her Kittens!

Cassidy (now Patience) first came to WHS in December of 2012 on a transport from a shelter in California. She was a mess. She had serious ear infections and a damaged ear canal, she had old wounds on her body, she showed signs of arthritis in her hips, and had worn teeth. The vet guessed her age at about seven. To top it off, Cassidy showed no expression in her face. But all that didn’t matter. Her tail and eyes spoke volumes. Almost immediately she became a dog much-loved by volunteers and staff.

It took a long time and an ear operation, but Cassidy was finally adopted in March to the joy of all of us at WHS. Then on November 11, 2014, Cassidy was surrendered again, due to the health of her owner. Here she was with Diane at that time.

Older and still with ear problems, we wondered who would adopt our sweet girl now. A few months before Cassidy’s return, a new volunteer named Marianne had started dog walking. She and I soon became friends and when she heard Cassidy’s story, Marianne was deeply touched. Already having two dogs and two cats, she knew she couldn’t have another dog, but decided to take Cassidy home for a respite from the stress of the shelter. The next day I got an email from her saying she didn’t think she could bring her back, and the deal was sealed…Cassidy became Patience on November 13, 2014.

And that brings us to a few weeks ago, when Marianne decided to foster some kittens who had lost their mother. Here’s what she wrote and the pictures she sent.

“I brought 3 tiny foster kittens into my home when they were approximately 2-1/2 or 3 weeks old. I kept them separate from my 5 other animals as they were so tiny, but in the back of my mind I knew I wanted to introduce Patience to them. Due to her history of loving every person and animal she meets, it seemed like it would be fine, but I waited a couple of weeks. The best guess about Patience’s history is that she was a breeding dog in southern California before she became just another stray pit bull picked up and put in an overcrowded shelter. If there was ever a pit bull meant to be a breed ambassador, it is my Patience. Patience is a perfect foster “mom” to these babies. From the moment she met them, her maternal instinct kicked in and she has loved them like her own. They adore her too, and she sweetly puts up with all their crazy kitten antics as well as their sharp teeth and claws as they climb on her, and chew on her face, feet, and tail. She has been taking care of them for about a month now, and I know she will miss them when they leave in another 3 weeks or so to be put up for adoption. I think I see more foster kittens in our future.”

Mama Pit Bull and her Puppies, The Movies!

One last personal note…

After our much-loved fourteen-year-old shelter dog, Scout, passed away last April, a group of my WHS friends ordered a brick in his memory for the memorial walkway at the shelter. Last week I discovered it had been laid and placed next to another very special shelter dog, Spike. Words cannot express how grateful I am.

That’s it for this week!

Remember, if you see a dog on my blog whom you are interested in meeting, try to make arrangements to get to the Willamette Humane Society soon. Some dogs are adopted more quickly than you might think.

Finally had time to see the blog. Some pictures didn’t come through, but the great videos did. I really loved Patience and the kittens; very sweet!!!! Also loved seeing Tom do agility video, teaching an old dog new tricks.